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You're Not Good with Numbers. You Can Still Be Good with Money

So, you’re not good with numbers. Well, welcome to the crowd. There are many, many, many people who are not. And even the ones who are good with numbers, aren’t good about budgeting, because that takes not just the skill with numbers, that takes a certain amount of self-control.

Fortunately technology is solving that problem for many of us, in particular, with online, interactive, automatic recording of transactions that you do using your credit card. You establish a budget very simply with the help of the software and then the software records how much you’re spending. If you use a credit card to make your purchases, then it will get recorded. Or even if you use checks, and you input it into your bank account, it’ll do the electronic banking for you, and it will tell you when you’ve exceeded your budget limits and it’ll send you reminders.

Now, Mint.com, for example, will also suggest to you ways that you could save money. It is aware of alternative places that you can buy the things that you’re buying, and it may suggest a place that you can get the same stuff for less. So, you know, it’s like having your own bookkeeper, or financial advisor, a disciplinarian saying, “Mm, mm, mm, you exceeded your budget.”